BBC1 has ordered an adventure format from the executive producer of Last Man Standing that will 'abandon' losing contestants in far-flung locations around the world.Each week, the 6 x 60-minute Drop Zone will helicopter contestants into a different location, ranging from easily recognisable cities to deep jungle.

Armed with little information about their surroundings, the participants, in teams of three, will complete challenges "inspired by the culture and environment they are in" before meeting the helicopter at a specified location.

The last team to make it to the pick-up will see the helicopter taking off and leaving them behind.

The in-house series will start in Scotland with eight teams, and whittle them down to a winner when it finishes in Vietnam.

The show is expected to launch in early 2010 but may be pulled forward to this year. It was ordered by BBC1 controller Jay Hunt and Nick Shearman, who has just become Knowledge commissioning executive producer for Wales. It is now being overseen by Jo Ball, commissioning editor, factual features and formats.

"Drop Zone has scale and ambition and combines the entertainment values of The Amazing Race with public service information about the places contestants will be visiting," said Shearman.

Interesting take on the TAR theme, so I'll give them a pass because it's a BBC production. The part about "public service information about the places the contestants visit" hints to the first TAR season, something which BVM has forgotten in later seasons, IMHO.

After all, how bad could it be, given the BBC can take a techie subject such as cars and turn it into a very entertaining show called "Top Gear".